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Frisian Culture
"I swear. Don't ever ask a Frisian for a favor. He'll have you agree to some deal where you get the short end of the stick and you won't even know it. He won't forget it either. He'll come a' knockin' at your door some years down the road and remind you of your part of the bargain."“ ''-- Genero Castiglione, Athanatos Sailor'' ---- The Frisian people are a loose conglomeration of merchant/seafaring people on the western half of the main continent. Hailing from the Merchant League of Frisia, the Frisian people are some of Serrus’ best sailors and merchants. Their very approachable and aggressive social and business attitudes lend them to have a great grasp over others socially. They are also hard to dissuade once they make up their minds. Frisians are known to have a method of thinking that somehow always revolves back to money, goods, or services. While they do have a sense of honor, a monetary contract is usually involved. This need not be written in paper, although the literate Frisians almost always “Whip up a contract real fast” as they put it. Other races might find this slightly demeaning though the Frisians do not think of it as others do. Frisians think of contracts as a normal part of life to make people accountable for their choices. Frisians are also the most prone to climbing the social ladder as in their country, anyone with a good business sense can get rich and therefore in a position of power. Frisians share a similar complexion, height, and build as the other cultures surrounding them. They tend to have very light skin and tend to have a darker hair color with brown being the most prominent. The Merchant League is vast, and their proclivity to being sailors and merchants leads to the intermingling of culture and people. This leads to diversity in physical attributes seen almost nowhere else. One typical universal fashion is pointed and trimmed beards and elaborate mustaches amongst the men. Subcultures North Frisian Northern Frisians obviously inhabit the Merchant League's Northern Coasts. Not so obviously, they are also along some of the interior and middle areas of the Berkwoud. Before the Merchant League was set up, in far history, the Jutans inhabited much of the north coat of what is now Frisia. As the Frisians moved in, the Jutans intermingled with them. Now, they are their own subculture within Frisia itself. They have the stubbornness of the Jutans and the Shrewdness of the Frisians, which leads to being very difficult to deal with. Due to their past and close proximity to the Jutan, North Frisians usually are stockier than the typical Frisian. Males wear long beards and women typically wear long hair, curled up in braids. Falkus Isolated to the Falkeseisland on the north shores of the Merchant League, Falkus rarely are found abroad, although recent opening of the island has led to many traveling. The Falkus people are considered odd, even amongst the rest of the Frisian people whom they share a loose culture with. In a bygone age, the Falkus people were a mix of Jutan, Frisian, and Hessan refugees from the ever-present wars ravaging the area on the mainland. To keep themselves safe from marauders and danger, they became very insular and kept anyone not permitted off of the island of Falkeseisland. In the recent few decades, the island government known as the Elders, have started letting others onto the island, causing an exchange of culture unheard of in centuries. Due to many years of isolation, the Falkus people have grown to be very homogenous in regards to their physical features. Besides being almost universally dark haired and pale, many also have the distinguishing feature of having waist length hair and/or beards which they meticulously keep intricately braided. Ornish The Ornish are found in ghettos all throughout the Merchant League, but are mostly found on their home Island of Orna along the Providence Coast of Frisia. The Ornish Frisians have always felt like second class citizens in the Merchant League. When the Merchant League was formed, the King of the Island of Orna refused to sign the agreement. It led to him declaring all other Frisian entities enemies. A short and bloody war ended in the subjugation of the Island and its people. Since then, the Ornish have mingled with the rest of the continent, but a lingering tension still permeates the area. The Ornish lost their City, also named Orna, and were prohibited from every rebuilding it as a reminder. This leads to still brewing resentment with the rest of the League. The Ornish are a hardy lot; clinging to their small, seaside communities of fishermen. The Ornish are very proud of their history, despite the unpleasant nature of their City's fall. Due to their relations with the other Frisians, they do not give their trust easily, but when it has been earned, they are fiercely loyal. The Ornish are also very distrustful of nobles and more easily fall in easily with the working class of any culture. The Ornish people are typically ruddy complexion and tough, worn skin. They usually are strong as their Island is surrounded by harsh seas. Salt permiates their hair and they usually wear it unkempt. While many see the Ornish as disheveled, to the Ornish, it shows a strong work ethic. Marger Margers originate and are mostly found in the areas surrounding Margraten in the Merchant League of Frisia. To most outsiders, and even other Frisians, the Margers at first glance seem like typical Frisians. The Marger however would beg to differ. They all hail from the area surrounding Margraten, the capitol of the Merchant League. Consummate businessmen, they are very adept at discussing deals and business; even the poorest farmer. The Margers are also proud that their people were the founders of the Merchant League and consider themselves as the cornerstone for its continued success. Margers typically show their status and friendship through opulence and wealth. The Marger don't necessarily look down on the other Frisians, but they can easily come off as aloof or condescending. One of the largest and most trafficked cities in the world, Margers are an extremely diverse group. They usually share the same features and style as any of the other Frisians as well as even other cultures entirely. Woudish The Woudish live along either bank of the Venlo Fluss in central Frisia. The Woudish people are excellent river men. They live on the main river trade route from the coast through to Argau. In addition to living on and close to the river, they are enclosed on the northwest by the Middel Berkwoud and on the southeast by the Schaduwoud. This is how the culture gets its name. Woudish people, while they understand the heavy traffic and trade through their lands, are surprisingly simple and down to earth. They respect those that pass through and respect their lands and homes. Woudish men tend to forgo the well-manicured beards of their cousins and usually wear them full, but tightly cropped. Women tend to wear their hair short. Living on the water and near/in the forests, the Woudish have excellent balance and a solid posture. Typical dress is modest in mostly earth toned work clothes. Southern Frisian Scattered in small towns and homesteads throughout the southeast areas of the Merchant Republic, the Southern Frisians are distinct in that they are a mostly rural population. Most have some sort of farming and agriculture knowledge as those are the heart of the Southern Frisian way of life. Unlike their northern cousins, the Southern Frisians tend to live on homesteads spread out within the arable land. This leads to the family unit being more important than the overall community at large. However, those that do live within the towns dotting the landscape, they are very community driven. Southern Frisians have similar features of their northern and central cousins, save for their skin is weathered. They also tend to wear heavy boots and thick trousers, even the females. Category:Culture